THE POM POM GIRLS/THE VAN

The Charge

Bobby couldn't make it...'till he went Fun Truckin'!

Opening Statement

Drive-in specialists Crown International Pictures virtually captured the
market on teen films in the 1970s. They served up a steady stream of light
comedies that featured youthful rebelliousness, a smattering of nudity, fab
music, and cool cars -- all with a laid back California attitude. Though light
on plot or any kind of character development, Crown's nostalgia-soaked teen
films are among the most satisfying B-movie relics of the era, with an
unparalleled ambiance of fun and freedom. The latest entry in BCI Eclipse's
Starlite Drive-In Theater line, this double feature DVD pairs up two of Crown
International's better films from the late 1970s: The Pom Pom Girls and
The Van.

Facts of the Case

In The Pom Pom Girls, best buddies Johnnie (Robert Carradine,
Revenge of the Nerds) and Jesse (Michael Mullins, No Place to
Hide) are the stars of the Rosedale High football team. But outside the
locker room, things aren't so mellow. Jesse is forced to confront his abusive
football coach (James Gammon, Major League), and ladies man Johnny angers
the school bully Duane (Bill Adler, Van Nuys Blvd.) when he steals away
his girlfriend, Laurie (Jennifer Ashley, Chained Heat). Meanwhile, things
are heating up for the big game with Hardin High, and Johnnie and Jesse are
caught in a war of pranks that goes too far when the guys steal a fire truck to
hose down their rivals.

Stuart Goetz (Record City) catches you on the flipside in The
Van as Bobby. This goofy high school graduate slaves away in a car wash
owned by Andy (Danny DeVito, War of the Roses) in order to save up for
his custom wheels, a bright yellow Chevy van nicknamed "The Straight
Arrow." Bobby's cherry ride is decked out with '70s staples like a CB radio
and quadraphonic 8-track stereo. But in the back, Arrow is packing two TVs, a
waterbed, mirrored ceilings, and wall to ceiling shag carpeting. Never lucky
with the ladies, Bobby has pinned all his hopes for finally getting laid on his
brand new custom ride. He sets his sights on Sally (Connie Lisa Marie,
Starsky and Hutch), the gal pal of town bully Dugan (Steve Oliver,
Werewolves on Wheels).

The Evidence

Caught between the unambitious beach party and hot rod flicks of the 1960s
and the lewder sex comedies of Porky's and its rough-edged ilk, these
freewheeling, sun-kissed celebrations of youth were drive-in staples during the
always groovy 1970s. Often making use of the same locations and the same
low-rent, post-pubescent cast, Crown built up quite a library of these
good-natured titles that seemed to exist in their own little world.

By departing from Crown International's established no-name cast formula,
The Pom Pom Girls is among the finest teen films the B-studio cranked
out. As the impulsive and often mischievous Johnnie, Robert Carradine is far
more likable than many of the protagonists in these throwaway films. He acts
circles around the rest of the fledgling cast. Director Joseph Ruben
(Sleeping with the Enemy) attempts to work in some drama by highlighting
the conflict between the coach and hotheaded Jesse. But all attempts at
seriousness ultimately falls flat, overwhelmed by a few brief flashes of locker
room nudity, a cameo by doomed cult starlet Cheryl "Rainbeaux" Smith,
a joint or two shared under the bleachers, and a drunken party on the beach.
Though the humor in The Pom Pom Girls is never laugh-out-loud funny, it's
never supposed to be, achieving instead a kind of natural lightheartedness that
makes it feel far more realistic. Witness the food fight between Johnnie and
Duane that has them playfully smooshing ketchup-coated French fries and greasy
burgers in each others faces -- you can see actor Bill Adler actively stifling
his laughter and clearly enjoying the scene. That sense of slice-of-life fun
makes the picture a breezy, grin-busting timewaster.

Reveling in custom van culture, the libido-soaked The Van is even
more of a time capsule than The Pom Pom Girls. Goetz's obvious
awkwardness as being cast a lead actor ultimately pays off in the insecure
Bobby, who is so laughably pathetic at coercing chicks back to his awesome van
that he immediately wins over audience sympathy. Floating on the AM pop
soundtrack of Sammy John's minor chart hit "Chevy Van," Bobby embarks
on a series of sexual misadventures before finally hooking up with "good
girl" Tina (Deborah White, Monkey Trouble). But just when everything
starts to looks 10-4, Bobby generously hands over his car payment to his
part-time bookie boss to help him out of a jam, and has to drag race the slimy
Dugan to keep the repo man from taking his wheels. Oddly enough, Stephen
Oliver's bully Dugan was a running character who appeared in several of Crown
International's films throughout the decade. He's always a highlight as the
meat-headed lout who wants to pound on any weakling that hits on his girl. As
with The Pom Pom Girls, the fun is really in the spontaneous details,
however, as Bobby checks out a dyn-o-mite custom van show, plays too much
pinball, and gives his co-workers some Exlax-laced beer after they send his
convertible through the car wash with the roof down. In the predictably silly
conclusion, Bobby finally realizes that the joys of casual sex and van ownership
just aren't as groovy as a steady gal. But as any serious strip cruiser knows,
the ride is far more important than the destination.

If anything is going to harsh your buzz, it's that both The Pom Pom
Girls and The Van are offered in pan-and-scan transfers. The first
film doesn't look too bad, and may actually be presented in open-matte. The
Van is clearly misframed; this appears to be the same transfer that has been
kicking around the public domain circuit for the past few years. Grain and print
damage also crop up occasionally on both features, but it's never too
distracting. Just don't go in expecting state-of-the-art visuals. The mono
soundtracks for both films sound as good as they probably ever will, which is to
say sufficient. As for extras, BCI Eclipse has packaged this disc with the
popular "Drive-In" theme, giving viewers the option to watch the films
accompanied with some badly-digitized concession stand ads, the Mighty Mouse
cartoon Wolf! Wolf!, and trailers for BCI's other drive-in friendly
titles Malibu Beach, Weekend Pass, The Beach Girls, and
Jocks.

Closing Statement

A great introduction to the swingin' Crown International teensploitation
classics, this DVD is a frothy wayback-machine that will even appeal to those
who didn't grow up complaining about the oil crisis while trying on a pair of
bellbottoms.